Manchester United moved back into the top four with a 1-0 win away at Everton, but it wasn’t a performance packed with fluency or chances.
The game had a scrappy feel for long stretches, with both sides struggling to build sustained momentum.
United did have an early warning shot when a barrage of attacks ended with Amad Diallo’s effort being cleared off the line by James Tarkowski, but the game lacked many clear openings until the end.
Everton grew into the contest through set pieces and pressure, throwing balls into the box and asking questions late on, but United held their nerve.
The decisive moment arrived in the 71st minute, and once again it came from Benjamin Sesko.
Matheus Cunha’s switch of play released Bryan Mbeumo, who drove at his man and then laid the ball into Sesko’s path for a first-time finish into the corner.
Ultimately, it wasn’t a night for fireworks, but it was a night for points, points that United need in the race for Champions League football.
So, alongside the much-needed three points, we take a look at what we’ve learnt from the game.
1. Manchester United seem to finally have consistency in Benjamin Sesko
For some time now, Manchester United have failed to have a reliable and consistent striker to lead their attacking line.
However, now Benjamin Sesko has well and truly arrived.
United needed someone to provide a spark, and Sesko did what he’s been doing again and again, coming off the bench and settling the match with one piece of quality, once again making his mark.
The finish was ruthless and immediate, a first-time strike that gave Pickford no chance.
It keeps raising the same question: how long can Carrick justify using him as an impact substitute when his impact is becoming the difference between one point and three?
2. United’s best football came in transition, not possession
For much of the match, United weren’t carving Everton apart with controlled build-up.
Their sharpest moments came when they moved quickly and directly into space.
The goal summed it up perfectly. Cunha’s pass flipped the pitch, Mbeumo carried it with purpose, and Sesko finished it clinically.
United nearly replicated it once more with Fernandes sending a seemingly blind cross field pass perfectly to Dalot who picked Sesko out on his own again.
This time unfortunately Sesko couldn’t take it round Jordan Pickford, missing out on his second.
Whilst this attempt didn’t pay off, it showed just how threating United are becomign with counter-attacks.
3. Away control is still a work in progress
This was another away game where United got the job done, without ever fully taking charge of the match.
There were phases of control, but not the kind that led to constant pressure or a steady stream of chances.
Too often, United’s attacking shape looked slightly blunt, and the game drifted into a scrap Everton were happy to lean into.
Ultimately United’s best chances came from the counter-attacks, holding firm in defence, but the control wasn’t quite there.
However, United won, and that’s what matters, but the away version of this team still looks like it needs another level of polish.
4. Senne Lammens is giving United a platform, not just saves
Similarly to the arrival of Sesko, Senne Lammens has been vital for United, with the goalkeeper once more showing his ability.
This wasn’t a match where Lammens was under siege for 90 minutes, but when the pressure came, he handled it.
Everton’s late push was built on set pieces, crowded boxes, and second balls, and that’s where a goalkeeper’s decision-making matters as much as shot-stopping.
However, it wasn’t just making saves, there was a comfort to it in the way he caught nearly all of Everton’s key shots rather than parrying them away.
Clean sheets away from home change seasons, and this felt like one of those nights where the goalkeeper’s composure quietly mattered.
5. Christopher Vivell needs to take a bow
Christopher Vivell isn’t one to make it into the spot-light often, but he needs to right now.
Manchester United’s head of recruitment was the man, alongside his team, behind the signing of Matheus Cunha, Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo and Senne Lammens.
Tonight, they all delivered and it’s becoming and increasingly regular part of United’s performances.
These four are growing into the space already, showing that Vivell was bang on the money with all four.
Seeing how his plans are seemingly working with these four, I think it’s fair to say we can start getting excited now for whatever signings are made in the summer.
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